Today we’d like to introduce you to Mikke Pierson
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am the owner of Pierson Business Growth Solutions, which focuses on helping America’s small businesses define and achieve their goals. I am a certified Master Coach and have won several coaching awards. I’ve been an entrepreneur since graduating UC Santa Cruz with a BA in Psychology. I am most known for founding ZJ Boarding House, an Internationally known surf, skate & snowboard business, which I owned with my partner Todd for almost 30 years before selling it to Billabong. I also helped co-found the Board Retailer Association (BRA), which supported action sports businesses nationwide and led to me teaching other retailers around the country how to better run their businesses.
I’ve also worked with adults in or recently out of rehab in re-establishing their lives and careers.
The foundation of my coaching is to focus on personal and business leadership and communication. My teaching follows three core principles developed from my life in leadership roles. Those principles are:
• All challenges are opportunities.
• The practice of proactive and positive communication.
• Stress is a choice.
My Background
I was a founder and owner of ZJ Boarding House, an internationally known specialty surf/skate/snow retail & wholesale business in Santa Monica. Over 30 years, I hired approximately 800 employees, grew revenues by million dollars annually, and won recognition in action sports as national Retailer of The Year, Best Retailer in Los Angeles several times, and Best Retailer in Santa Monica many times. I also owned a product development company, a cafe that was located in our retail store, and I helped found a national retail association for action sports retailers, the Board Retailers Association (for which I gave educational seminars around the country at trade shows). I credit a business coach I hired early in my career for giving me the tools that allowed me to be successful.
I am also passionate about nonprofits and philanthropy. I worked closely with SurfAid International for over 15 years as an International Board member, US board member, and local adviser to an internationally recognized NGO that saves and improves lives in very isolated areas of Sumatra. I have also supported many other nonprofits through my business, including Stoked Mentoring, Boarding For Breast Cancer, Heal The Bay, Casa Colina, and many others.
I have been active in my local community, and I was recently the mayor of the city of Malibu. I was on the Malibu City Council from 2018 to 2022. I was also previously on the Planning Commission, and I was a Public Works Commissioner for the City of Malibu.
I am an avid mountain biker, adventure motorcycle rider, and surfer, and I live in Malibu with my wife, Maggie. We have three children: Colin, Emmet, and Gracie.
You can contact me at 310-309-0038 or mpierson@focalpointcoaching.com
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
So many struggles and learning moments.
I was not a good communicator or leader when I started ZJ Boarding House. The coach I hired changed everything for me by teaching me the mindset of leadership and success. This led me on a journey of learning how to evolve people and teams. Part of this involved my realization that pretty much all of my employees were “at risk” for no other reason than their age. Eventually, “kids” (young adults) came from around the country to work with us, and in our almost 30 years, we lost (they died) 10 of our “family” to drugs, murder, and the stupid things young people do. At the same time. As a lay minister (Universal Life Church) I preformed about 12 of their weddings and presided over memorials for those that died. So, the great struggle I had with myself as a communicator and leader became a place I was able to grow and evolve.
That business was also greatly impacted by the 2008 recession. I believe the only reason we made it through this was the relationships we had formed with our vendors and our customers. My worst moment was December 31, 2008, when I laid off 17 of my “family” in order to try and survive. Rebounding from that was defining for me.
Also, I was elected to the Malibu City Council on November 6, 2018. The Woolsey Fire burned through (like a fire hurricane) my neighborhood on November 9, three days later. My son, I, and just a few neighbors stayed and fought the fire (there were no firefighters there for many hours). I have endless stories about the struggles we all went through with a natural disaster of the size of Woolsey Fire and the damage and trauma it caused, and it would have completely dominated my term on the City Council except for…
Covid. Being an elected official during Covid was almost as challenging as dealing with a fire that burned down nearly 500 homes. There was no real “playbook” for Covid, and the trauma of that, on top of the trauma from Woolsey, was all-consuming for me.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in helping small businesses (solopreneurs, partnerships, and companies) define, plan, and achieve their goals. My clients tell me that I am calm and trustworthy. And I think what helps is that whatever they are going through, I have been through my version already, including success, failure, and trauma. And I think my BA in Psychology comes in handy here, as often, at some point, it isn’t my clients’ skills that is holding them back, it is negative learned behavior patterns or trauma of some sort that is blocking them from having the business and life they want and can have. My clients are very diverse and are nationwide, and include 2 professional artists, a very high-level rehab, a rock band, sales teams, a manufacturer, a writer/public speaker, and a restaurant in Santa Monica. I’m known for having long engagements with some clients (becoming part of their team), and I think what sets me apart is the connection I’m able to form with my clients. It is noticeable to me that I’m really the only person they have to discuss the things we discuss that impact their business and their lives, such as their mindset, their life goals, their fears…while also being held accountable to what we are working on.
I’m not that right coach for everybody. We need to share values. They need to want to grow and evolve. I’m not a light switch to their success; I’m a guide. My engagements come in different forms based on my client’s needs, but typically I charge a monthly fee and we meet weekly (mostly via Zoom) and I’m available to them 24/7 if issues come up. I don’t sign contracts (other than confidentiality), and I tell my clients to fire me if I’m not providing value to them (that hasn’t happened yet).
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’m constantly learning and evolving. I’m just finishing my second ongoing education course/certification in the last few months. The first certification is from the Trust Edge Leadership Institute, which makes the case that everything in building a successful organization and teams is built on trust. Brilliant stuff. The second is PQ – Positive Intelligence, which brings form and structure to what I practice daily: intentional positivity and affirmations. And this reminds me that I have been sending out daily affirmations to a growing group of people for the last few years on my own and I appreciate the exercise of having a message to share 4 to 5 days a week.
I have several books on my desk now that I am working my way through, including Traction by Gino Wickman, Trusted Leader by David Horsager, Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink (a reread), 10x is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan, Flight With Weighted Wings by Dr. Johanna O’Flaherty and I’m rereading Conversations with God (with a client) by Neale Walsch. The book that had the largest impact on me in the last year is The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer. Brilliant.
My coaching group, FocalPoint Coaching, also does ongoing training and mentoring. So, I am being mentored consistently and I am a mentor as well for other coaches.
I listen to podcasts sometimes, but I jump around based mostly I what other people tell me they love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mikkepierson.focalpointcoaching.com/
- Instagram: piersonbiz
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikke.pbgs
